


Re-Human

by Jcat06172



Category: Original Work
Genre: Death, Loss of Innocence, Original Story - Freeform, Reapers, Serial Killer, a pet snake because why not, learning about mercy, murders, one shot maybe will be a sequel idk, references here and there, serial killer POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 05:48:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jcat06172/pseuds/Jcat06172
Summary: I opened the wooden door, to find that every light was out, even the ceiling one that usually stayed on no matter what you did to it. I could see her silhouette in the corner, she had her back to the wall, twirling a long blade in her hands. The boy's body was in a crumpled heap on the floor. His knees lay limp by his chest, his head tilted upwards. An expression of terror still haunted his once handsome face. His eyes were empty, and his mouth lay open, forever holding a wordless scream.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a "short" story I wrote a few years back for a class. My friend told me I should post it, so that's what I am doing. This was my first actual story that was longer than 7 pages, and it holds a special place in my heart. I wrote this based off a concept, I will post my artist statement as a separate chapter as well. I might write a sequel, if this gets kudos/views or if people say they like it. I had one planned, which i would be very willing to write!   
> Thank you for reading this, it means a lot to me, even if only one person reads this, thank you.   
> kudos, comments, criticism greatly appreciated.   
> enjoy!

    I'd like you to meet Ren. She was my most loyal follower. I chose her when she was a baby, that was when I knew. She was the perfect choice. Her parents were such idiots, didn't even realize I was in there with her until it was too late. Ren wanted me to take her, I know she did. She looked at me, in the funny way human babies do. They all have different variations of the same expression. Wonder. In that moment, I know she wondered what it would like to become my successor. I know she wondered, what it was like to be someone like me. I think, in her heart she was already, all I had to do was... Help the process.   
      And that's what I did. I helped. I let her see, and understand the part of herself that her parents wouldn't have been able to help her find. They adhere, like gorilla glue, to the rules of society. No stealing, no cheating, no killing. They were "upstanding members of the community."    
     Now this may come as a surprise to you. And it might not. I. Am. Not. Human. I am what you people call a Reaper. I work for Death herself.   
      But we Reapers, we don't just go collect souls, and bring them waltzing into heaven, or send them screaming to hell, no. You see, when things get a little slow, when medical advancements stop some of the sick from dying, or when a war suddenly comes to a cease fire, we need some more souls to... Well I can't reveal that. So, we choose a human every once in a while, we raise them ourselves, and we teach them to... Serve Death.    
   As I said, she was the perfect choice. I took her home with me that night, and I raised her, all by myself. I taught her my version of  English, math, history, and Latin. I watched as her love of books blossomed, her love of animals just the same. I remember when she befriended a snake. It was a milk snake, he had been badly injured by a car, and she had found him by the road.    
     Ren, instead of killing him, the kinder thing to do, she brought him home, and did what she could, ended up saving the thing. She named him Salazar, after the Horsemen of Plague. The relationship between the two was amazing. He went everywhere with her. They shared something, I can't begin to guess what it was. They are still together, even now, in the place they are. Death herself made a special exception.    
      He came with her to her first... Shall we call it... Experience. I think they both enjoyed it equally. She chose well. When she was 13, that's when I took her out for the first time. I don't mean to the store, or out somewhere. I mean showed her what it felt like to be someone like me. I let her feel it. She was addicted from the get go.   
      The one she chose, he was an adolescent, around her age. All she had to do, was walk up to him. He was fairly easy to lure from there. I found out later, he was 16. Ren, she's always looked older than she is. Her height and physical looks did that for her. So bringing him back was fairly easy.    
    That was when I sent them downstairs. I collected his soul a little while after. He dragged himself up the wooden steps, begging for me to take him away. His soul had turned mauve, the official sign for distress. I don't know why you humans chose red for a distress signal. But a mauve soul means the being had gone through some kind of painful or scary experience before expiring. His was bright mauve.    
     I let him pull himself up the last couple steps before walking to him. His cause of death was the obvious slash across his throat, but there were other nicks, gashes, and snake bites on his soul. He pulled himself to my knees, begging me to take him away to the place he would spend eternity. The terror in his eyes told me all I needed to know. I didn't want him to suffer longer than he had to. It seemed our innocent Ren had really done a number on him. I touched his chest gently. His wounds healed themselves, and he stood.   
    Everyone has something to say to their Reaper. He told me his name, and his age. And then he asked me why. I said to him, William, it was your time. He simply stared at me, then asked me how he should depart. I replied, telling him, that it was up to him. He looked up, and kicked off the ground. A superman cape melted into view, he lifted off the ground, fist in the air, his feet dangling weakly below him. He looked back at me once. The regret in his eyes was quite apparent. He turned his head back to the ceiling, Then continued his journey on upwards. After a moment, I walked down, to see what Ren had done.    
    I opened the wooden door, to find that every light was out, even the ceiling one that usually stayed on no matter what you did to it. I could see her silhouette in the corner, she had her back to the wall, twirling a long blade in her hands. The boy's body was in a crumpled heap on the floor. His knees lay limp by his chest, his head tilted upwards. An expression of terror still haunted his once handsome face. His eyes were empty, and his mouth lay open, forever holding a wordless scream.    
     His body was covered with knife wounds and snake bites, arms, back, chest, head, face, legs, and finally the throat. Nothing was spared from her brutality. Blood soaked his clothes and hair, pooling into a puddle around him as it leaked from his open wounds. She was still standing with her back to the wall, twirling that knife. I flicked a switch, turning a few of the lights on in the room.    
     Blood. Blood everywhere. Her hands, clothes, hair, they were soaked in his blood. I called her name, but she didn't turn her head, she didn't move a muscle. I called again, still no movement. I was worried that I had started her too young, that perhaps she didn't like the feeling of the kill. I stepped softly towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. I said her name once more. She picked her head up, looking me right in the eyes.  Salazar slithered into view on her shoulder. He fixed me with the same gaze.   
      I pulled her collar down, revealing her breast bone, I needed to check to be sure she was one of us. Jagged deep crimson lines had begun to etch themselves into her skin, the start of her Reaper tattoo. Each kill she made expanded the tattoo. The pattern was different for everyone. If a protégé of a Reaper finishes the tattoo, they ascend, and get blessed by Death herself. I let go of her collar, looking her in the eyes once more, a thin lipped smile passing across my face.    
     Rarely do my protégés ask me this question, actually, I think she was the only one who ever had. "When can we do it again?" 


	2. Chapter 2

***   
Night had fallen on the little town Ren was stalking. Night was always the best time to hunt she thought. She liked to scare her prey first, seeing the terror and hopelessness in their eyes as she sliced... It was exhilarating. It had been 3 years since her first kill, and since then, she had claimed the lives of 47 people. Her Reaper tattoo had spread across her chest and body, snaking around to her back, and down her legs and arms, all the way to her fingertips.    
      Salazar was currently curled around her waist, a comfortable  spot he had found to be warm, especially on the cold winter nights like this one that Ren chose for hunting. Snow blanketed the town, flakes still falling from the sky. Her boots made a crunch each time she stepped in the fresh fallen snow, cold seeping in through the worn leather. She had not yet put her mask on, Reaper had told her to make one and wear it whenever she made a kill. It makes them feel even more afraid. He told her. She felt the mask in her pocket, it barely fit, and her pocket bulged with both her hand and the mask inside.    
     She had her eyes set on one particular house. It was small and set back, apart from the rest on the street. She had seen a girl and boy enter there, they looked perfect for the night’s mission. The boy looked around 23, with brown hair and light skin, he stood at around 6'1.    
      The girl on the other hand, she was much younger, maybe 15 or 16. Small for her age, she stood at maybe 5'2. She was incredibly skinny, with raven black hair that fell to the midpoint of her back, and pale skin. This is will be fun. Ren thought. She positioned herself outside one of the  frosted glass windows, waiting for the last light to go out.   
      An hour flew by, Ren shifted her position, looking up once more. She placed the mask on her face, tying the strings being her head. It was a half mask, only covering her eyes and forehead. The eyes were slitted, it was painted to look like red scales, with a black and white stripe around the edge, like Salazar's face. She had used him as a model, wanting to look just like him.    
       The cold never bothered her, but she was still anxious to get in the house before she was seen by a prying neighbor. The light finally flicked off. It was time. She picked the lock fairly easily, and slipped up the stairs without a sound. The boy was first. She walked into his room, hiding the knife behind her back. The room was dark, but she could see he was passed out on the bed. She could also see the empty beer bottles that littered the room, one still in his hand. As she drew closer, the smell of alcohol was more apparent, he reeked of the stuff, it was obvious that he had spent his night getting hammered.    
    This kill wouldn't be as fun, she thought. The drunk ones never get scared. She decided to make quick work of him, you can't make someone intoxicated really suffer, they just didn't feel it the way sober people did. He was on his stomach, face pressed into the pillow, arms splayed out on either side. She climbed on to the bed behind him, straddling his back with her knees. Careful not to disturb him, she gripped his hair and pulled his head back. She felt him stir underneath her. With a quick slice, the knife cut through his soft skin like butter. A gurgling sound bubbled up from his throat, his final attempt to gasp for air before his life drained out in front of him. He twitched, once, twice, then was still.   
     She grabbed the edge of his shirt, using it to wipe the blood off the knife. She liked having clean instruments to work with. She still used the same knife from her first kill, the black blade had been meticulously sharpened and cleaned, the ebony handle was still as shiny as it was when the first kill was made. The blade was long, maybe seven inches, curved into a wicked point at the end. It had taken many lives and caused more agony than any human could stand. She slipped it behind her back, concealing it from her next victim.     
     The girl's door was closed, it was decorated with posters and signs, each one portraying a different thing. Ren did not know what any of it was, Reaper hadn't told her about it other than to avoid it, and she listened to Reaper. I am a good daughter, I do what he says. Ren thought, averting her eyes from the posters. She opened the door quietly, slipping into the dark room. She shut the door as softly as she could behind her, taking a step into the small room.    
     Ren could make out the shadow of a bed and the small curled up shape of the girl. Salazar slithered up her torso, peeking out of her shirt collar. She reached a hand up and stroked his head twice. Salazar had reached his full length, at 6 feet, he could stick his head out of her collar and keep the rest of himself curled around her body.    
      She inched forwards, being careful not to make a noise. The girl was still curled up, twitching every once in a while. Ren grinned, she wouldn't be asleep for long. She crept up the the side of the bed, and placed a hand over the girls mouth, pressing down hard. The girl woke with a start, clutching Ren's hand with both of her own, trying to pry it off. Ren only grinned wider, putting her knife on the table, and pinning the girl to the bed with her knee. She grabbed the knife, and dragged the tip down the girl's arm, drawing a thin line of free flowing blood.   
   The next three cuts she made in sequence on the girl's stomach. The girl screamed through Ren's hand, once again trying to break free, unable to force Ren's iron grip from her mouth. Ren let go, pressing her palm into her chest, keeping her in place. She slashed into her shoulder, pressing down harder than she had on her stomach, blood spurting from the new wound. Screams of agony burst once more from the girl's mouth.    
      Carving up her prey was always her favorite part, the warm blood spilling on to her hands was positively thrilling. Each new slice gave her another scream from the girl. Sometimes Ren would count, how many screams before her victim gave up, her record was in the high fifties, by that time she had stopped counting.    
      Ren stopped for a moment, letting Salazar peak out a little further. The girl quieted, staring at the mask where the eyes would be. Terror blanched the girl's face, her hands gripping Ren's, trying to stop the incoming blade. Ren grinned once more, about to slice through the girl's stomach again. "MERCY! Please have mercy on me please don't do this please have mercy!" The girl screamed, panic clouding her wide green eyes. Ren stopped, and looked at the girl quizzically. What does mercy mean? Ren questioned. Ren ignored the new word, cutting into her again and again and again, each slice eliciting another pained cry for mercy, until it was just a weak repeated whisper. Her hands had become slick with the girl's blood, gripping the knife was much more difficult than it had been before it was soaked with her gore.      
       She stopped, waiting for Salazar to come out. He slithered down her arm to the dying girl, his body following. She began to whimper, terror taking over once more. Salazar bound her arms to her sides, waiting for the go ahead. Ren stroked his back once, giving him the signal she had trained him to respond to. His head shot forward, teeth burrowing into her arm, then retracting again, eyes scanning her body, looking for the next place. She cried out in pain, as he bit into her shoulder, then her side, the girl whimpered in pain at every strike, no strength left to scream.    
    "Kill me, please. I can bare no more." The girl whispered. Her once porcelain skin was now  painted crimson, blood soaked her raven hair and red Avengers night shirt. It was time. Ren decided. She would be dead soon anyways. First, Ren wanted to know what the word meant. Mercy. She thought. "What does mercy mean?" Ren asked. The girl coughed, unable to laugh. "It means--" she stopped to cough. "It means, choosing to help instead of hurt, to stop inflicting pain, and instead heal the others wounds. To have compassion, and empathize with your victim." She finished, breathing heavily. Ren stopped. Mercy, show mercy, help not hurt, compassion. Empathize……Reaper says always kill your victim. Ren grasped the knife once more, and with a quick slice, the girl lay dead. Ren wiped the knife clean, then cleaned her boots to make sure there was no trail. Usually Ren stuck around for a bit, posing the bodies, washing them, cleaning the places they lay. She tried to start, but touching the cooling body of the girl made her feel like she wanted to puke. She ran down the stairs of the house, leaving the bodies where they lay, and sprinted into the night, leaving the door wide open.    
      The cold shocked the breath out of her. Shivers wracked her body, she pulled her jacket on tighter. Winter winds blew flakes into her face, causing small pricks of pain wherever they landed. She hurried down the empty streets, down to where her car waited. She ripped the door open, jumped in quickly, and slammed it shut. She tore the mask off her face, throwing it into the backseat. The engine roared to life, Ren sped off back home. The drive was long, two hours of nothing but the howling wind and snowflakes battering her windshield. She was breaking the speed limit by over 30 miles per hour, but she didn't care. She had to ask Reaper what mercy really meant.    
      She arrived at their house in the woods. The trees were sprinkled with snow, it was close to Muertade which happened in the second week of February, it was a celebration of Death's escape from The Cage. Every Reaper, Hound, Horsemen, and the other creatures of Death celebrated it. Ren turned the car off, and walked inside. She hoped Reaper was home, and not out on business. She could smell smoke, he had to be home, otherwise the fire wouldn't be lit. Ren walked into the living room, where a fire was indeed crackling. She could see the outline of Reaper sitting in his favorite red armchair reading a black book.    
      "Reaper?" Ren called.    
      "How went the kill?" Reaper asked, keeping his gaze fixed on the book.    
      "Well sir. Two more dead, my tattoo has expanded up my neck. But sir, I need to ask you something." Ren stuffed her hands in her pockets, fingering the knife.   
      "Yes?" Reaper asked, still looking at his book.    
      "Reaper, what is mercy?" Ren whispered. Reaper was out of his chair in and instant, the black book falling to the floor. His black cloak whirled around him as he stood, the hood falling off his head.    
      "Where did you hear this word?" He asked, anger burning in his charcoal grey eyes.    
      "The girl. She said it. When I was... Killing her." Ren shrank back, she hated to see Reaper angry.    
      "Mercy is a concept created by weak humans as an excuse to end their suffering. The word is designed to help only the asker, and the giver ends up being destroyed. Mercy is a tool used by manipulating weak humans to get what they want. Compassion, pity, all playing on the emotions of their victims so they get what what they want. Ren, I should have protected you from this. Do not let their words influence you." Reaper spat. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest tightly. "I'm sorry Ren I couldn't protect you for longer." Ren was tall for her age, 6'2, but Reaper was at least a full foot taller than her, maybe more. He was paper thin, she could feel his rib bones, and spine whenever she hugged him.    
     "It's ok Reaper, I am sorry to have upset you. I promise, I won't let them influence me. I know now why you didn't tell me what it was." Ren hugged him tighter. After a minute, the two broke apart. Reaper held Ren at arms length, his gaze passing over her.    
       "I see your tattoo is close to being complete. I would say maybe three or four more kills before you can ascend. What is your count again?" He asked.   
       "I'm at 49 now." Ren stated.   
       "Ah, my girl. You are so close, 3 or 4 more kills and you can ascend to full status. Then stage two of our training can begin. I am very proud of you. If I am not mistaken, you will be the youngest human to ascend. Good girl Ren. Death will hold us both in high esteem, I shall become one of her Horsemen at last." Reaper smiled proudly.    
      "When is my next hunt?" Ren asked enthusiastically, thoughts of the kill once again exciting her.    
      "That's the Ren I know. Come now get some sleep. I'm sure you are tired. I'll find you some new prey tomorrow." He ushered her out the door, sending her up to her room. He waited, watching her skip up the wooden stairs to the second floor landing. That's my girl. He thought.   
      "Thank you Reaper, good night." Ren called, before vanishing into her bedroom. Reaper walked back to the living room. He sat in front of the fire once more, retrieving the black book from the floor. He opened the book to page 4, and pulled out a small bag that was taped to the page. Inside was some dust, he took a tiny pinch and sprinkled it on to the flames. The fire roared then quieted, the once lively orange flames turning blood red.    
      "Horsemen Wakiri, Ren shall be ascending soon, three more taken and her tattoo will be complete." Reaper said.    
      "Good job Reaper Samuel. Death shall be pleased. Have you started preparing for stage two?" Horsemen Wakiri asked.    
      "Yes. She shall be a full Reaper by Muertade." Reaper replied.    
      "Good. I shall tell Death of your success." Horsemen Wakiri said. "That is all. Finish stage one tomorrow."    
    "In Death!" Reaper tapped his mouth twice.    
    "In Death!" Horsemen Wakiri responded.    
    Ren shut and locked the door behind her. Mercy, I need to find out what it really is. Ren thought. She pulled a small book off her bookcase titled "Merriam-Webster" she had found it and taken it from one of her victims. Since, she had been trying to memorize as many words as she could. She flipped to the M section, and scrolled down to the word. "Compassion or forbearance (see forbearance ) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also :  lenient or compassionate treatment. Begged for mercy." Compassion, what is compassion? She flipped to the C section. "Sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." The others, are they other victims? She flipped to the V section. "People harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action." So, they are people. Not Reapers and not animals. Dos that mean I am a people? I must go find someone to tell me the truth. Not Reaper.    
     Ren packed up a small bag with some necessities along with her knife. She untangled Salazar from her body and placed him on the bed. "I'll be back, I promise. This is something I must do alone." Salazar curled into a ball and closed his eyes. Uninterested. She opened the window, and looked down the two story drop. A mound of snow had started collecting where the wind blew it against the house. "Here goes." Ren whispered, and let herself fall out the window. The snow caught her, sending a puff of white into the cold air to be swirled away by the wind. Snowflakes stuck to her eyebrows and eyelashes, they landed in her auburn hair, melting from the heat radiating off her body. Once again, Ren felt freezing cold, a new feeling to her, usually she loved the coldness of winter.    
    Ren stood, collecting her things, and trudged down the driveway. Snow came up to mid calf, each step she took her foot sunk into the snow. She was grateful for her tall winter boots Reaper had bought for her birthday. She walked for hours, her feet had begun to go numb, her hands were shoved deep in her pockets, she was glad she had taken the winter coat she seldom used, rather than her usual black leather. The smell of smoke alerted her that a town was near by, and sure enough, lights blinked through the snow, the faint tone of music could be heard over the howling wind.    
     Ren walked into the town, a giant evergreen stood in the center, decorated with lights and a gold star at the top. I wonder what that is... Ren thought. She had never seen a tree like that with lights strung up on its boughs. It's pretty. She could hear music, but not the kind Reaper showed her. This was cheerful, happy, hopeful. It was coming from a tall building with spires and turrets, a chirp, that's what it's called I think. She walked towards it. A name was scrolled across the largest arch. "Divine Mercy Church" then in smaller font, "All are welcome in the house of God." Divine mercy. Maybe people there can help me.    
     Ren walked in the doors, in front of her was a large high ceilinged room. Rows and rows of benches led to the front where there were some tables and decorations. One woman stood at the altar, and around 100 people sat in the pews. Each one of them was singing the same song, no doubt led by the woman. They were standing, holding a red book in one hand and a candle in the other.   
     Ren sat in the back, hoping to stay unnoticed until she could talk to the woman. Until then she simply listened. The song ended, and one by one the people filed out. The woman at the front stayed, waiting for everyone to leave. Once the last candle holder left, Ren walked up to the woman. "Excuse me, can you help me?" Ren asked. She had used this as a ruse once, it had worked quite well. But this time, she was serious.    
     "Yes, what is is you need help with?" The woman asked. "My name is Ana, I am the leader of the congregation. I don't think I have seen you around."    
     "Is killing a bad thing? What is mercy? Am I a people?" Ren whispered.    
     "Killing, it's a mortal sin. To take the life of another human, it's a terrible terrible thing to do. You don’t just hurt them, you hurt their families, their friends, everyone their life touched in a good way loses something very precious. Mercy? Mercy is when you take pity on someone who is suffering, it's when you give aid to those afflicted. It's when you choose to stop the pain of another being, because you as a human understand that pain. And yes, from what I see, you are a person. I am a person, we are humans. Why do you ask me this?" Ana gave Ren an odd look, curious as to why this girl was asking her these morbid questions.   
     "Does everyone think this way?" Ren asked.    
     "For the most part, yes. There are a few, troubled souls who do not." Ana replied.   
      "Thank you." Ren said quickly, her hand shooting out from behind her and gripping Ana’s neck. She squeezed as hard as she could, ignoring Ana’s hands and nails clawing at her own. After a minute or two her efforts of resistance grew weaker until all movement ceased. Ren dropped her to the floor like a rag doll, letting her limp body crumple into a heap below her.    
     Ren ran out of the church. She retraced her footsteps back to her house in the woods. What have I done? Why did I kill her? I shouldn't have killed her, she was helping me.    
     Reaper says always kill your victim. But was she a victim? She felt her tattoo crawl further across her face and neck. What I have been doing is wrong, it's all wrong killing is bad. I never knew I was a human too, I'm just like them. I'm human. I cannot kill anymore why has Reaper done this to me? What do I do now? Reaper wants me to kill three more. I can't. I just can't. But I can't disappoint Reaper. What do I do? I hope he doesn't notice that my tattoo grew.    
      She made it back to the house, the wind had begun to slow down, snowflakes falling less frequently from the sky. The sun had begun to rise, it's watery winter rays streaming through the pine forest. Ren made it to the door, unlocking it and slipping inside. She crept upstairs, carful not to wake Reaper. She tried the door to her room. It was locked. Shit shit shit! Ren thought. What am I going to tell Reaper? Ren sat outside her door, waiting for Reaper to wake up. I walked out to use the bathroom and left the key in the lock. I must have slammed it too hard and it locked on its own. That's what I'll say. A guilty voice in her head spoke. I've never lied to Reaper before. She heard the door to his room creak open, momentarily, the groggy form of Reaper trudged out the doorway. His eyes caught on Ren, who was feigning sleep against the doorframe. Reaper blinked twice, to make sure what he saw was real.    
    "Ren, dear, tell me, why are you sleeping outside your room?" Reaper asked.    
    "Ah... I locked myself out..." Ren said, faking a yawn.    
    "Here, let me open it for you." Reaper stuck his finger in the keyhole, in a moment, the door was open. "Here ya go." Reaper yawned. "I'm going to go get us some breakfast, then we can go on a hunt okay?"    
    "A hunt? really? Together? YAY! I can't wait!" Ren mustered every ounce of faux sincerity she could and poured it all into that one moment. Truth be told, the thought of another hunt made her feel sick to the stomach, all she wanted to do was go to bed. "Reaper, can I have some coffee?" Ren asked.    
    "Sure thing! I'll call you when it's ready." Reaper smiled at her, then he turned, waking back down the staircase.    
      Ren closed the door to her room, and half jumped half fell on to her bed. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and forget about meeting Ana. She unpacked her small bag, thankful Reaper hadn't seen it, placing her knife on its stand. Salazar was still curled up where she had left him, he opened his eyes a little, flicked his tongue, and went back to resting. "I would kill to be you." Ren said sarcastically. That was a bad choice of words. Ren thought.    
     Ren changed into her usual black pants, black long sleeve and black cloak, she needed to be sure Reaper didn't notice something was off. Wait. Ren thought. If I kill three more, just three more, I will no longer be human. Then I won't feel bad about doing what Reaper says. I must finish this… Or maybe I could reason with him, convince him to let me stop.   
      "Ren! Breakfast is ready!" Reaper called. Ren sprinted down the stairs, the idea of some coffee and food cheered her up a bit. Reaper made the best coffee.   
      She entered the kitchen, being met with the smell of coffee and toast. Reaper was standing by the stove, flipping sausages. "Go, sit, I'll bring you your food." He called, not wanting to turn away from the food. Ren went and sat at the table. Reaper seemed so happy when he was cooking, he wore a big grin as he served her some honey bread and sausages. Presently, he sat down next to her with his own plate.    
     "Reaper, would you ever kill one of your kind?" Ren asked.    
     "Why no, Death herself would have my head on pike before I could even clean my blade." He took a bite out of his sausage. "Why do you ask?"   
      "I don't mean what would happen if you did, I mean if given the chance would you?" Ren asked, cutting her honey bread up into slices.    
      "No, no I wouldn't. It's not something we Reapers do. We live by a code, there are few rules, but the rules there are, we all follow. Why do you ask?" Reaper took another bite.    
      Ren decided to go for it. "Well I was wondering, if I was human, and if the other humans were like me, and if it was wrong for me to kill them?" Ren asked.    
      "Ren, I see this episode with mercy has really shaken you. I suppose I must tell you, I really was trying to protect you." He paused, took another bite then faced Ren. "Ren, when you were small, I took you from your parents to give you a better life. Your parents were "human" but I believe that humanity is a mindset, and not a state of being. I tried to train it out of you, make you more Reaper than human. It worked for a while, up until now. And don't worry, everyone reaches this stage of their training it's normal to question. Humanity, it's a disease, humans were created as playthings by The Makers, nothing more. Something for them to mess with when bored. You need to let go of your humanity, let it go and complete your training. Become a Reaper, work alongside me. Yes Ren, you were born human, but the other humans could never be like you, and it is right for you to kill them." Reaper turned back to his food, thinking the matter was finished.    
     "But... I don't want to kill anymore." Ren whispered.    
     "You must." He replied curtly.   
     All the hurt, pain, guilt, torment, and anger that she had felt over the past few days pushed itself to the surface. She snapped at Reaper, and for the first time in her life she talked back to her guardian. "No, I won't, I refuse, the girl opened my eyes from the blinders you had put on me, I understand now what I am at heart. I can never kill again without feeling, thinking, understanding what the person I am murdering is going through. How can I kill knowing that we are the same, and by killing them, I am essentially killing the closest thing I have to a brother or sister?" Ren stopped, realizing by the look of anger on Reaper's face she had gone too far.    
    His voice was icy cold. "Go to your room. We are done here, tomorrow you will kill the last three and you will ascend tomorrow night." Reaper stood, and pointed to the door. Ren got up, and walked to her room. Salazar was waiting for her, still curled in the same place he had been in before. Ren collapsed on to her bed, pulling the covers up over her shoulders and snuggling into the pillows. Sleep claimed her soon after.    
     Her dreams were odd, different from her usual ones. At first, she dreamed of walking in the night sky, the girl was there with her, except she was no longer covered in the wounds Ren had inflicted on her, she had been healed, her skin was still perfect, raven hair still clean and wavy. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, a color Ren rarely saw. It was lighter than the trees that surrounded her house, and she had only ever come across one other person with eyes like that. Herself. They simply walked together, and talked about things Ren rarely thought about.    
       Their conversation started out about living, what it was like to live the way the girl lived, with her posters and signs, her songs and sparkly lights, living with another human. Ren told her about living with Reaper, about what he had taught her, and what he had shown her how to do. Ren apologized to the girl, saying she understood now, and that she wished she could take it all back. The girl simply nodded, understanding gleaming in her eyes. The girl asked, what it was like to not understand empathy and mercy, what it was like not to have humanity. Ren replied with one word. Cold.    
      They talked some more, their words seemed like nonsense to Ren, but somehow at the time the meaning was clear as day. Ren asked the girl what she should do. If she should disobey or follow the instructions Reaper had given her. The girl stopped walking, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder. Ren's heart began to beat rapidly. "I think you know the answer." The girl said in her soft voice. She let go of Ren's shoulder and walked away into the night.     
     Ren awoke, her heart still pounding away inside her chest. I can't do this. Knowing what I know, I can't do this. Reaper can't force me to kill someone. Ren settled back down, she wanted to go to sleep, just a dreamless sleep, that was all she wanted. She closed her eyes once more, unconsciousness once again enveloping her.    
     She dreamt that she was asleep in her bed, except it wasn't her bed. It was the girl's bed, in the girl's room in the girl's house. She heard the door open, thinking it was her brother coming in to use her bathroom since she had her own and he did not. Then suddenly a hand was clamping down over her mouth, and she was looking up into a mask, two green eyes just barely visible between the slits, a lopsided smile taking up the bottom half of her captor's face. Auburn hair spilled out on either side of the mask, touching her shoulders. Wait. That's me. I'm killing myself.    
     Ren tried to struggle again, whipping her head to the side. Instead she got a mouthful of soft raven black hair. Oh my Death, I'm the girl. Panic took over, she felt the knife slice into her over and over again. She screamed for mercy, she screamed until she could scream no more. Salazar slithered from the collar of her murderer’s coat, binding her arms and waiting for the signal. Salazar, it's me, Ren, you don't have to do this, it's me. Please don't. She tried to beg. But no words came out. Salazar bit into her over and over, she screamed in agony each time.    
     She felt the knife slice her throat. Ren thought it would be quick, that the throat was severed and then no more pain. The person just died. But no, she lay there, a full minute flew by before she passed out. In that time, she felt each of her organs shutting down, and the searing pain of the neck wound. She tried to breathe but inhaled blood, she tried to cough but her lungs were too weak. Is this what it feels like to be my victim?    
       Ren awoke, gasping for air, clutching her throat. The moon shone through the window, glinting off the wooden floor. Did I sleep the whole day? Ren thought. She looked at her clock, 3:45 A.M. Oh, I should probably try to sleep again, not much use in staying up now. Ren made herself comfortable, the after effects of the dream still had not worn off, the dark of the room made her feel afraid for the first time in her life. Thoughts and worries flew through her head, until she could take it no longer. She jumped up, flicked on the light and pulled the covers over her once more.    
      Once more, she fell asleep, this time it was dreamless, a welcome relief. She was awoken by the sound of Reaper's footsteps outside her door. "Ren! Time to complete the process!" He called. Ren got up, after having almost 20 hours of sleep, she felt well rested and full of energy. Ren pulled on her clothes, then stepped outside the door. Salazar! She hadn't seen him when she had woken up, and he had been noticeably absent for a while. She walked back into her room, and looked around a little bit. She had to make sure he wasn't hiding or sleeping in the heating vent again.    
      He was nowhere to be found. She walked downstairs, wondering if perhaps he had gotten out and was wandering around the house. Reaper was in the kitchen, holding some toast. "Morning Reaper. Have you seen Salazar, he seems to have gotten out." Ren asked.   
      "No. Eat, then we will finish your tattoo." Ren ate slowly trying to prolong what was about to come next. All too soon, her plate was empty. She stood, and placed it into the sink.    
      "Where are we going?" Ren asked.    
     "Follow me." Reaper replied, motioning to the door near the back of the house. He walked through the entry way down to the basement door. "I decided to bring the last three here to make it easier for you to ascend. Death has given me permission to complete your Ascension." He opened the door, and motioned for her to walk down the stairs. Ren stepped into the basement, she hadn't killed in here since the first time. The ceiling bulb was still on, much dimmer than it was before, but it gave off enough light to see the three humans tied up as hanging from the ceiling.    
     Raven hair, and pale skin. Three sets of green eyes all staring, pleading with her. Mercy! They said. Each face was a ghostly white, no doubt from terror. All three of them struggled in unison, fighting against their bonds. Each one, pleading with her, begging to be let go, to be spared.    
      How can it be her? I killed her, she's dead. This isn't possible! Ren blinked, and the images of the girl were gone. It's all in my head. It's all in my head. Instead three different ordinary humans hung from their bonds. Two were male, they looked like brothers, they both had the same messy black hair and green eyes. Broken glasses lay on the floor next to the older one, another pair of round spectacles sat precariously on the bridge of the other's nose. They looked to be in their late teens, stubble had just started to grow on the younger one's face, and a half shaven beard grew on the other's jaw.    
    Next to them was a woman. She looked like she was in her mid 30's, dressed in a well fitted business suit, her blonde hair pulled back in a braid, no doubt to keep it out of her eyes. Duct tape covered all three of their mouths. "Go on Ren, kill them." Reaper urged from behind her.    
     "I don't... I don't want to." Ren whispered.    
     "I really wish I didn't have to do this. Ren, kill those three humans or I will kill Salazar." Reaper pulled Salazar out from the box in the corner of the room Ren hadn't noticed before now. Reaper held a knife to Salazar's throat, he wriggled and writhed, but couldn't escape from Reaper's grip.    
     "Okay! I'll do it, just don't hurt Salazar please!" Ren pleaded.    
     "Very well, go ahead. Do it. Save your snake." Reaper drawled.    
     "I'm sorry." Ren whispered to the first boy. She took her knife and placed it next to his throat. He shook his head back and forth, trying to mutter something through the tape. With a quick slice, the boy bled out, coughing and choking on his own blood.  In a minute, his movements were reduced to a twitch every now and then. In three, his body became still. The second brother began writhing and twisting, attempting to shout something through his gag. His glasses flew off his face, hitting the floor and cracking.    
     She stepped over to him next, holding the knife ready. "I'm sorry." She whispered again. She dragged the knife across his neck, blood spilling down his chest, soaking his clothes. He was dead in seconds. She had severed his windpipe as well as his jugular, giving him a quicker end that his brother. A pool of blood began to accumulate between the two brothers, growing larger as time ticked by. Ren felt her tattoo expand upwards, until only her face remained untouched.    
    The woman glared at her, pure malice and hatred replaced the terror that had been there seconds earlier. Her face displayed a look of defiance and contempt, this woman is brave. I admire that. She takes her death with dignity. Ren walked to her, standing in front, forcing eye contact. "I'm sorry." She whispered once more. Ren sliced her throat, relief washing over her the second she finished. The woman's chin hit her chest, her eyes flickered back and forth watching her life drain out onto the floor.    
  
     The tattoo completed itself, burning red in the dim of the basement. Reaper dropped Salazar. Salazar hit the floor hard, and stuck his tongue out at Reaper, glaring at him. Reaper ignored Salazar, and placed his palm on Ren's forehead. "Reaper you are, Reaper you will stay, may Death welcome you into her army."    
     Ren's entire body glowed red, her tattoo faded away. Ren felt her feet lift slightly from the ground, as he finished speaking, a wave of crimson light exploded from her chest, taking the form of each person she had killed. 53 souls stood in the basement around her. Ren opened her eyes, to see them all watching her, their expressions unreadable. The girl stood in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." Ren cried, hoping the girl could hear her.    
     "I know." Was the faint reply from her spirit. "You know what to do Ren." The girl called. Already they were fading, each one disappearing until only the girl remained. "You know what to do." She repeated one last time, before fading with the rest of them. I know what I need to do. Ren thought.    
     "Congratulations Ren, you're Reaper now." Reaper attempted to take a step forward, but fell to the floor, unaware of the milk snake that had bound his legs together. "What? What is this? Ren, call your snake off me." Reaper scoffed.    
     "Salazar, good boy." Ren said, her voice as cold as ice. She gripped her knife tightly, walking to Reaper on the floor. She bent down, and rolled him over.    
     "Ren come on, stop this. It's me, Reaper, you can't kill me." He laughed nervously. He tried to say something else, but stopped as soon as the knife pierced through his rib cage and into his heart. Ren pressed down and twisted, making sure he would die. Reaper's face displayed a pained expression, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His breaths came in short gasps, his chest rising and falling rapidly. A minute later all movement ceased.    
     Reaper lay dead.    
     Salazar slithered up Ren's leg, and curled himself around her waist once more. He is dead. He really is dead. I'm... Free. Her freedom didn't last long, two strong hands pulled her arms behind her back, holding her in place. Smoke began pouring in from nowhere, a small shape materialized within its depths. Death has come to kill me. Ren thought. The smoke cleared, revealing a woman. She was of average height, blonde curls fell around her shoulders, and baby blue eyes found Ren's, their expression unreadable.    
     "Bow." Death commanded.    
     "No. I do not bow to you. I bow to no one." Ren hoped she sounded brave, that her voice didn't give away how terrified she was.    
    Death chuckled."Ah, Ren. The most promising trainee of them all. It's too bad you went astray, you could have been one of my horsemen, perhaps the commander of my armies. I had great plans for you." She paused, and strode towards Ren. "I still have hope for you, which is why I won't be killing you, or your snake. No, I think you can be changed. Which is why, I am sentencing you to The Cage." Her lips twitched upwards in a half smile. Ren sucked in a deep breath, fear washing all rational thought out of her head. The Cage is where Death herself was put by The Makers when she disobeyed their orders not to take the lives of their favorite creations. It is said that The Cage contains your worst fear, and that it is impossible to escape. Ren shivered just thinking about it.    
     "Do you know what The Cage is?" Death asked.    
     "It's a prison, that no one can escape, containing your worst fear." Ren whispered, fear tainting her voice.    
     "Almost no one. I freed myself after 2,000 years of captivity. Now, I choose who goes in and who comes out, I control The Cage, I put every single damned Maker inside of it the day I got out. It's an unconquerable maze of fear, meant to keep whatever creature is put inside. You are time locked, you never age, never die as long as you are inside. The day you leave, is the same day you were put in.  Ren, for the crime of killing a Reaper, I sentence you to 1,000 years inside... Or however long it takes for you to learn to obey." She reached a hand up to Ren's cheek, brushing her fingertips down Ren's cheek. "I do hope The Cage straightens you out." Death lowered her voice, smiling.    
    She turned to face whoever it was that was holding Ren. "Put her and the snake in The Cage. Then take care of Reaper Samuel's remains." Death started to walk back to the center of the room.    
    "Wait! Reaper, he had a name? He wasn't just 'Reaper?'" Ren asked.    
    "Why yes, before he ascended, his name was Samuel Coalburn, he killed 87 people by... Well the name is self explanatory no? It's too bad, he was a valuable Reaper. Horsemen Wakiri will be upset at his passing. Goodbye Ren. See you in a few thousand years." Death muttered something indiscernible. Ren blinked, and she was gone.    
     "Ok kid, say goodbye to this world for a while. Time to take a trip to The Cage." Her captor chuckled. He stomped the ground twice, and waited. A small crack appeared on the floor, zigzagging its way to the middle of the basement. He stomped again, the crack split and opened into a wide chasm with a resounding boom. "See ya." He said gruffly, firmly planting his boot into her back, kicking her into the open hole below.    
      Ren screamed loudly as she fell into The Cage. It felt like she had been falling forever. The space around her was pitch black, and she couldn't see the bottom. A faint light appeared below her, glowing and dancing in the pitch black. As she fell, it grew closer, until it was so bright she had to squint just to keep her eyes open. Ren felt herself slowing down, so much so that after a minute she was no longer falling but gliding down. Her feet touched the ground, Salazar unraveled himself from her body, and slithered away. It was no use to go looking for him, she would find him eventually.    
     The light illuminated a long walkway that ended in the form of a door. She walked towards it, the light growing dimmer as she left her landing area. As she drew nearer, she could see that there was a name on the door. 'Ren' it said. So that's where I will be for 1,000 years. Ren thought. She gripped the handle, and pushed. The room was already dark, the only light source coming from the hallway. As she shut the door, she was once again plunged into darkness. Ren heard a lock click behind her. Shit. She thought. Now I'm really trapped.    
    Ren felt her way to the corner of the room, pressing her back against the wall, she slid down, until she was sitting with her knees curled in front of her. She heard footsteps outside the door, then heard the lock clicking and the handle turning. A silhouette stood in the entryway. And it begins. Ren thought. The person reached a hand out, and flicked a switch Ren had not seen before.    
    Light illuminated the room in which Ren was sitting. She could see, it was spacious, and empty. The walls were a light sandstone color, and the ceiling had stalactites hanging down like teeth. It gave off an eerie feeling, that filled Ren's stomach with dread. The figure had its back to her, it was locking the door once more, turning slowly.    
    Green eyes peeked out from beneath long raven colored hair. Her pale skin was unmarked, the way it had been the first time Ren had seen her. She gripped a long bladed knife in her left hand. "Hello, Ren." The girl said.


	3. Artist Statement

Is innocence relative? What I mean by this, is what if you have two people, one of them brought up in a normal first world household, taught the basic ideals and rules of human culture, and being an active and helpful member of society. And another person, someone who was taught that killing was normal, that people were prey and that there were no rules other than the ones you were taught by your guardian?  
Now what if these two people were walking down a street, in the middle of the night, and they witnessed the same murder. The killer stabs his victim over and over again, blood spilling on to the street, the screams of the victim slowly fading into the night, until their heart stops. The first would likely react in disgust and fear, maybe even losing their lunch, they would call 911, terrified of what the killer would do next. They would be scarred, haunted, and afraid no matter how old they were. This is what they have been taught since a young age, and they now agree with it, abide by it.   
The second person, they would just walk past without another thought. To them, it's normal to see someone stabbed to death. To them, humans are simply prey, nothing more than a meaningless piece of flesh to be killed for sport. This is what they have been taught is normal, it's what they do themselves. It's part of their life in a beneficial way. So do they lose their innocence when they see this? My answer is no. They do not. So how can they lose it?   
That is what my story follows. It's about a girl, who was brought up to kill. She believed that people were nothing more than victims to be hunted, she was taught to be merciless. In fact, her guardian never taught her what the word mercy was. The story tells of how she seemingly is still innocent, even though she brutally kills two people in their home, her 48th and 49th victims since she was 13 years old.   
One of them begs for mercy, a word she had never heard before. Before she kills her, she asks, what does mercy mean. What the girl tells her shocks her, and she leaves without completing her routine. She asks her guardian for his definition, and he tells her to avoid the word, saying it was used by weak humans, and that she had to be strong in order to continue with her mission. He goes so far as to turn it around saying that he should have protected her from that word, saying it was bad. She agrees with him, but still has her doubts. She takes a dictionary, and looks the word up.   
Still confused, she runs away in the middle of the night. She finds a town on Christmas Eve and hears a church congregation singing Silent Night. After they are finished, she asks the minister what the word meant as well as if it was bad to kill someone. Here is where she loses her innocence. Suddenly, she realizes what she's been doing is a horrible thing and that in reality, she is human herself. I will spoil no more!   
The answer to my question, it depends on the person. To me, it is relative. You don't choose your situation, nor your parents, you aren't born with the necessary human skills, so why should you be born with the notion that killing is a bad thing?   
Most of the time, people write about good conquering bad from the heroes perspective, but I chose to write from the point of view of the villainish, and bad conquering good. While it's a different kind of ending, it still gives a good perspective on the theme.   
I have spent a lot of time on this, more than I have on any other project. It's been my favorite, and essentially my masterpiece. I love how the characters evolved and showed themselves to me rather than me actually deciding what they do. Once I create a character, they take on a life of their own, and they direct me, I had a whole different plan for Ren, but she ended up turning into the character she is at the end. A polar opposite from what I had planned. In the end, I like this version of Ren better than what I had originally.  
Written for Humanities final project, freshmen year.


End file.
